California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 1909

Introduced by Assembly Member Lopez

February 11, 2016

An act to amend Section 594 of the Penal Code, relating to vandalism.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 1909, as introduced, Lopez. Vandalism.

Existing law, amended by Proposition 21, an initiative measure enacted by voters at the March 7, 2000, statewide primary election, makes a person who maliciously commits specified destructive acts with respect to another’s property guilty of vandalism. The initiative measure reduced from $50,000 to $400 or more, the amount of damage caused by the vandalism that would result in punishment by imprisonment in state prison or a county jail for a term not exceeding one year, by a fine of not more than $10,000, or by both that fine and imprisonment, as specified. Existing law states if the amount of damage is less than $400, vandalism is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, by a fine of not more than $1,000, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

This bill would increase the damages threshold for determining the level of punishment for vandalism from $400 to $950.

Proposition 21 prohibits the Legislature from amending that act except by a roll call vote, two-thirds of the membership of each house concurring.

Because the bill would increase the threshold of vandalism damages that would result in specified punishment and thereby amend a provision of that initiative measure, it would therefore require a 2⁄3 vote.

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 594 of the Penal Code is amended to
read:

594.  

(a) Every person who maliciously commits any of the
following acts with respect to any real or personal property not his
or her own, in cases other than those specified by state law, is
guilty of vandalism:

(1) Defaces with graffiti or other inscribed material.

(2) Damages.

(3) Destroys.

Whenever a person violates this subdivision with respect to real
property, vehicles, signs, fixtures, furnishings, or property
belonging to any public entity, as defined by Section 811.2 of the
Government Code, or the federal government, it shall be a
permissive inference that the person neither owned the property
nor had the permission of the owner to deface, damage, or destroy
the property.

(b) (1) If the amount of defacement, damage, or destruction is
begin delete four hundred dollars ($400) end delete begin insert nine hundred fifty dollars ($950) end insert or
more, vandalism is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to
subdivision (h) of Section 1170 or in a county jail not exceeding
one year, or by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars
($10,000), or if the amount of defacement, damage, or destruction
is ten thousand dollars ($10,000) or more, by a fine of not more
than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), or by both that fine and
imprisonment.

(2) (A) If the amount of defacement, damage, or destruction is
less than begin delete four hundred dollars ($400), end delete begin insert nine hundred fifty dollars
($950), end insert vandalism is punishable by imprisonment in a county jail
not exceeding one year, or by a fine of not more than one thousand
dollars ($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.

(B) If the amount of defacement, damage, or destruction is less
than begin delete four hundred dollars ($400), end delete begin insert nine hundred fifty dollars ($950), end insert
and the defendant has been previously convicted of vandalism or
affixing graffiti or other inscribed material under Section 594,
594.3, 594.4, 640.5, 640.6, or 640.7, vandalism is punishable by
imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by a
fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both
that fine and imprisonment.

(c) Upon conviction of any person under this section for acts
of vandalism consisting of defacing property with graffiti or other
inscribed materials, the court shall, when appropriate and feasible,
in addition to any punishment imposed under subdivision (b), order
the defendant to clean up, repair, or replace the damaged property
himself or herself, or order the defendant, and his or her parents
or guardians if the defendant is a minor, to keep the damaged
property or another specified property in the community free of
graffiti for up to one year. Participation of a parent or guardian is
not required under this subdivision if the court deems this
participation to be detrimental to the defendant, or if the parent or
guardian is a single parent who must care for young children. If
the court finds that graffiti cleanup is inappropriate, the court shall
consider other types of community service, where feasible.

(d) If a minor is personally unable to pay a fine levied for acts
prohibited by this section, the parent of that minor shall be liable
for payment of the fine. A court may waive payment of the fine,
or any part thereof, by the parent upon a finding of good cause.

(e) As used in this section, the term “graffiti or other inscribed
material” includes any unauthorized inscription, word, figure,
mark, or design, that is written, marked, etched, scratched, drawn,
or painted on real or personal property.

(f) The court may order any person ordered to perform
community service or graffiti removal pursuant to paragraph (1)
of subdivision (c) to undergo counseling.

begin delete

(g) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2002.

end delete